Cold weather doesn't mean safe ice fishing

Cold weather has finally arrived, providing the necessary conditions for inland lakes to begin freezing over. Ice formation is a complicated process, one fraught with variables. In a very rudimentary sense, ice formation occurs once the proper temperature is achieved and heat lost from the water can go into ice formation....

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By Mark Spencley

Cheboygan Daily Tribune - Cheboygan, MI

By Mark Spencley

Posted Dec. 8, 2012 at 12:02 AM
Updated Dec 8, 2012 at 12:04 AM

By Mark Spencley

Posted Dec. 8, 2012 at 12:02 AM
Updated Dec 8, 2012 at 12:04 AM

By MARK SPENCLEY

mark@cheboygantribune.com

The foundation for ice fishing season will begin to form in the coming weeks, great news for the thousands of "hard water" fishing addicts that flock to northern Michigan each winter.

Ice formation is a complicated process, one fraught with variables. In a very rudimentary sense, ice formation occurs once the proper temperature is achieved and heat lost from the water can go into ice formation.

So, you can see a lot of variables are involved," said Jeff Halblaub, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Gaylord. "The temperature of the air, the temperature of the water, the size of the body of water, all of that plays into how quickly ice forms."

Though it's difficult to predict ice formation for a given body of water, if the proper conditions are in place, ice can form quickly. A rough formula says if the average temperature is 30 degrees, it will take about four days to freeze four inches of ice.

Because of all the variables involved in ice formation, this is a ballpark assessment. Nevertheless, its clear that ideal ice forming conditions will soon settle in on northern Michigan.

Regardless of how solid ice conditions appear to be, safety precautions are a must.

The big thing is obviously the safety concern," said Sgt. Greg Drogowski, Department of Natural Resources officer who handles law enforcement in Cheboygan and Presque Isle counties. "People die every year breaking through the ice. It's tragic and not worth the risk."

Temperatures are expected to climb through the weekend and early next week before dropping back into the low 30s and high-20s to finish out next week. The days in the 20s are perfect for forming a layer of ice across area inland lakes.

Once ice starts to form, it can cover a lake in a hurry. Seeing a lake covered in a glare of ice is a tempting sight for anxious anglers, but the conditions beneath the ice are more important than surface appearance.

"A lot of these lakes have springs in them where the ice doesn't form the same," explained Drogowski. "Even if you know where the springs are, just wait until there's plenty of ice for it to be safe. Those fish are still going to be there in a week or however long it takes."

In most years, ice fishing is underway by the beginning of January, but judging ice conditions based on the calendar or forecast is dangerous.

Like Drogowski mentioned, springs and other variable affect ice formation differently on every lake. As a given rule, spring fed bodies of water freeze relatively slowly, as do large bodies of water. Weeds and other vegetation or protruding objects also delay freezing.

Page 2 of 2 - The only way to safely check ice thickness is to wait until plenty has formed and check the depth with a cordless drill or ice auger.

Here's an ice thickness chart created by scientists with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.